Jaguars Notebook: Various factors made Mike Thomas a spare part

Former Jaguars receiver Mike Thomas looks for running room on what turned out to be a three-yard punt return against the Houston Texans at EverBank Field on September 16. The Jaguars traded Thomas to the Lions for an undisclosed draft pick. Bob.Self@jacksonville.com

Factors made Thomas a spare partJust a year ago, wide receiver Mike Thomas seemed to be part of the Jaguars’ future.

He was a starting receiver and punt returner and got a three-year $19 million contract extension with $9 million guaranteed.

But he lost both the starting job and the punt return job this year and in the wake of the trade Tuesday to the Detroit Lions for an undisclosed draft pick, he’s now part of the team’s past.

Since the Lions have already traded their fourth-round pick, the Jaguars got a fifth round or lower for Thomas, a fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2009.

The signing of Laurent Robinson and drafting of Justin Blackmon and the emergence of Cecil Shorts made Thomas expendable even though he had 51 snaps against the Packers because Robinson was held out as he attempts to get in game shape after suffering his third concussion.

Thomas made his last start against Chicago when Robinson was sidelined, but after he caught only four passes for 15 yards, they demoted him for Shorts.

He caught four passes for only 19 yards against the Packers in his final game as a Jaguar and dropped what would have been a touchdown pass.

Thomas’ most memorable moment was catching a Hail Mary pass on the final play to beat the Texans in 2010. He became the first Jaguar to have his jersey and gloves from that game to be displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The decision to trade Thomas is another sign that with the team at 1-6, the Jaguars are looking to build for the future by getting more draft picks.

Of general manager Gene Smith’s first draft in 2009, top pick Eugene Monroe has been the only one to live up to his potential.

Jaguars making other roster movesBesides trading Thomas, the Jaguars made five roster moves Tuesday.

They signed fifth-year center-guard Steve Vallos and re-signed linebacker Brandon Marshall to their 53-man roster.

They also waived quarterback John Parker Wilson and running back Keith Toston. Wilson is likely to go back to the practice squad to replace first-year cornerback Prince Miller, who was waived.

Vallos, originally a seventh-round pick by Seattle in 2007, has played in 42 games with eight starts. He played two games with the Eagles this year before being released.

Marshall spent seven weeks on the Jaguars roster before being waived Saturday when they brought up Wilson from the practice squad because they were worried about Blaine Gabbert’s tender shoulder.

Rushing problems go with losing streakThere’s been one theme in the Jaguars’ four-game losing streak.

With or without Maurice Jones-Drew, they haven’t rushed for 100 yards as a team in any of those games.

In the two games since Jones-Drew left after the second play in Oakland with a foot injury, Rashad Jennings had 21 carries in 44 yards against the Raiders and 59 yards in 17 carries against the Packers Sunday.

But in Jones-Drew’s last two games, they didn’t get the running game cranked up, either.

He had 38 yards in 13 carries against the Bengals and 56 yards in 12 carries against the Bears.

In their only victory against the Colts, Jones-Drew had 177 yards in 28 carries.

Of the running game against the Packers, coach Mike Mularkey said, “We left some yards out there. We definitely did do that.’’

Jennings also had a critical fumble in the second period that probably cost them at least a field goal.

Jennings said, “It was a bad play. It changed the game. And I didn’t make enough plays to personally move the chains.”

Returns don’t excite MularkeyMularkey wasn’t happy with the kickoff returns of Micheal Spurlock, which is why he was replaced by Toston.

He averaged 17.5 yards on two returns. And he fielded his second return six yards deep in the end zone and got only to the Jaguars 11.

“I do not like the decisions that were made. I do not like that. I understand what his intent was, but the results were not always good for his intent. That’s not what we’re going to do,” Mularkey said.

Team continues third-down woesThe Jaguars continued to struggle on third down, making only five of 16 against the Packers.

“Not good enough, no. Everybody’s got to do something better. The one thing we can do better is to be better on first and second down [to avoid third and longs]. We’ve been in a lot of those [third and longs] and that’s because the first and second down either [are] no gain or negative gain,’’ Mularkey said.

Gabbert protection now a trust issueGabbert had his first 300-yard passing game in Green Bay, but the Jaguars are still working on getting him to trust the pass protection so he doesn’t throw too soon.

“We’ve just got to get some things out of his head and know we’re trying to do our best to protect and give him a chance to make some of those throws further down the field or some of those layup [easy short] throws,’’ Mularkey said.

Most likely a good decision. Mike Thomas will do well there because their QB will throw the ball his way. MT has made some great catches over the years here I personally will miss him, but GS needs more draft picks to retool a losing team. This is just the beginning.

And Laurent Robinson is beginning to look like the most recent fumbled acquisition.
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No, that would be Cecil Shorts III, who single-handedly lost the Oakland Raiders' game with what was essentially a walk-off fumble. The complete opposite, of course, of an internationally famous walk-off Hail Mary reception by Mike Thomas, the Jaguars' pass receptions leader for the past two years.

Happy Punting!
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Nothing haunts a team like a draft-day blunder. It's an open wound that can take forever to heal. That's why, with the market drying up, the Jaguars have to somehow find a dependable pass-rusher in the draft.

The problem is, there might not be proper value with the 26th pick. All the premium defensive ends - Vernon Gholston, Chris Long, Phillip Merling and Derrick Harvey - might be gone in the top 20. And the price for the Jaguars to move up, say, 10 spots, likely will be too steep.

So what's the best option then for Del Rio and his personnel tag team of Gene Smith and James Harris? - Florida Times Union, April 20, 2008

The Thomas trade is yet another indication of Gene Smith's poor eye for talent. Last year, he gives the receiver a new contract with sizable bonus, and within a year trades him for, at best, a 5th round pick. You pay a guy handsomely, then trade him away. Clearly, another botched transaction by Mr. Smith. And Laurent Robinson is beginning to look like the most recent fumbled acquisition.

Coach malarkey, I've left telephone messages for you but never received a return call. You can have the worst team of players in the world but if they play with their heart instead of their egos they can win. The missing ingredient on the Jags roster is heart. The players must have the desire to win, the team approach (no divas allowed) and everyone must have that "I've got your back" attitude. If each player contributes their best from within them, you can have a team of winners. They can hold their heads up high knowing they've given their best as a team effort, even in a loss. There is no "I" in team. This is one of the first lessons taught in any team sport. I recognize that professional football is a huge business these days. But just perhaps if we got back to the basics, such as playing with heart, the landscape would change. Imagine the Jags potential if that happened!